Protecting Student Writing Time
As the school year approaches and we are knee deep in planning our schedules it seems a good time to keep this (previsously run) post in your mind. What do you believe about… Continue reading
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Environments: Writing Workshop Fundamentals
Working with the intention of creating writing environments with our students that are reflective of the beliefs and the needs of all should be our goal.
While each writing workshop is unique to the writers within the workshop, there are basic design components true of all writing workshops.
What Do Teachers Do All Summer?
Summer is the opportunity to sit back, hit reset and plan how I will improve for next year. I like to use my extra hours of summer considering my past teaching practices and think about what worked and what I wish had gone differently.
My Mission to Stay Connected: Sizzling, Summer, Slam!
Each summer I plan creative ways to keep my students reading and writing, and each year the participation is less than I anticipated. What is it that causes this lack of participation? … Continue reading
How Do We Help Students Find Their Why?
At first, pride filled my heart, but as I continued to watch, I realized the work ethics I was watching at that moment hadn’t been as clear nor intentional throughout the year. The day’s show of teamwork could have been the culmination of a year’s work, but I knew it was something more.
GRAB A SEAT, GRAB A PEN, & GET APPY: KEEP LEARNING GOING THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER
Writers grow as they witness writing in their lives. The waiters jotting down orders, medical staff recording on charts, families creating a to-do list, shopping list, planning vacations, messaging family, and friends, composing emails, journaling, and the many other reasons we write in our lives.
Finding Time: With Craft Moves on The Poem Farm
Poetry month in my opinion (and my students’) is a celebration of writing! It’s a time when we writers welcome new beginnings and hone the art and crafting of our writing skills. I watch my students take wings and write with grace and confidence during poetry month.
A Learner-Driven Classroom & Writing Workshop
Moving to a learner-driven classroom has changed my role in the classroom and writing workshop. As a teacher in a learner-driven classroom, I have stepped back to observe the learner.
A Challenge for First-Time Slicers
If this is your first time participating in the SOLSC, then this weekend challenge is for you!
Four Quick Steps: Are You Ready For Opinion Writing?
To help guide our teaching we needed to know what our kids can do and where they would need our support.
CLASSROOM SOLSC FOR STUDENTS: DAY 5 OF 31
I hope you and your writers are finding the joy and freedom of Slicing! As your writers are writing away, remind them of the value of reading comments and offering comments as… Continue reading
CLASSROOM SOLSC FOR STUDENTS: DAY 4 OF 31
This is the fourth of 31 posts where you will share the permalink to your students’ slice of life stories in (the comments section below) or the permalink to your class hub where we can then access the blogs of your writers.
CLASSROOM SOLSC FOR STUDENTS: DAY 3 OF 31
This is the third of 31 posts where you will share the permalink to your students’ slice of life stories in (the comments section below) or the permalink to your class hub where we can then access the blogs of your writers.
CLASSROOM SOLSC FOR STUDENTS: DAY 2 OF 31
This is the second of 31 posts where you will share the permalink to your students’ slice of life stories in (the comments section below) or the permalink to your class hub where we can then access the blogs of your writers.
It’s Here! It’s Finally Here: Fifth Annual Classroom SOLSC For Students: Day 1 of 31
This is the first of 31 posts where you will share the permalink to your students’ slice of life stories in (the comments section below) or the permalink to your class hub where we can then access the blogs of your writers.
Resetting Student Ownership and Student Responsibility
We realized our students needed to revisit why they are reading and writing in reflection to their current needs as readers and writers. Our work has shifted from the skills of learning to decode, spell, and use conventions to inferring, synthesizing, identifying and applying craft techniques, using voice, and then sharing our synthesized thoughts and stories with others.
The Power of Silence in Conferring
I took a deep breath and paused a long pregnant pause. My next words needed to be just right.
Watch. Look. Listen: AUTHENTIC PURPOSES FOR WRITING
Writing is a stalwart act. Through writing, we express ourselves, uncover feelings, tell our stories, organize our schedules, share our beliefs, and change our world. To some students (and even adults) writing can seem like a monumental task and writing may feel cumbersome. But when you think of the necessity of writing in our lives, writing is unavoidable.
Student Ownership and Writing Choices
With so many (and ever changing) options at our fingertips, I want my students to learn how to control the tools. We have a motto in our room, “If the tool is telling you what to do, you aren’t in charge of your learning. You tell the tool what to do!”
Looking for Prize Donations
Before we know it, the month of March will be here. March is becoming my favorite month of the year since it brings St. Patrick’s Day, warmer weather, and the Slice of Life Story Challenge… Continue reading